Nature Trust this evening criticised the Malta Environment and Planning Authority for its green light to a fish packing factory at Mgiebah.

It said in a statement it could not understand on what grounds was the permit given, on a site that previously held a chicken farm.

“Apart from the site being a rural agricultural site and not an industrial zone, the area also harbours ecological important species like the Mediterranean heath, thyme, Maltese spurge, orchids, wolfbane, evergreen honeysuckle, traveller's joy and several other native garigue shrubby species, as well as archeophtyic trees like carob, and the native species like aleppo pine.”

NTM said it welcomed the Mellieha council and community’s stand to try to protect their rural environment, which also lead them to be granted the European Destination of Excellence.

“While Malta is trying to promote Eco Tourism, Mepa is working in a different direction by granting permits for such projects in such areas.

“NTM asks the authorities as to why residents, the council and non-governmental organisations were not consulted?”

The organisation also welcomed Mepa action on the contractor caught dumping rubble waste at Mellieha.

It said it failed to understand what took the authority so long to take action since this illegal activity had been taking place since last August and trees and shrubs were destroyed.

Nature Trust said it had warned the authorities when the dumping fee of rubble waste was raised last year that if enforcement was not beefed up such illegal activity was bound to happen.

It now hoped that the polluter pays principle is used and fines reflect the damage done.